The present invention relates to the Oppenauer oxidation of primary alcohols to their corresponding aldehydes. The invention is particularly applicable to the oxidation of primary allylic alcohols substituted in at least the 2-position with a hydrocarbon radical and primary benzylic alcohols. The allylic double bond may be acyclic, exocyclic or endocyclic.
An example of a cyclic allylic alcohol to which the present invention relates is perillyl alcohol (1-hydroxymethyl-4-isopropenylcyclohexene). An example of a benzylic alcohol to which the present invention relates is benzyl alcohol.
The present application is related to co-pending application Ser. No. 437,188, filed Jan. 28, 1974, now abandoned, and also to the continuation-in-part application thereof, executed concurrently herewith, Ser. No. 582,114 and now U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,601, both said applications being assigned to assignee of the present application. The inventions of said co-pending applications reside in the Oppenauer oxidation of 3-substituted and 3,3-disubstituted alcohols, such as geraniol and nerol (3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octidien-1-ol), to the corresponding aldehydes, such as citral. The disclosure of said co-pending applications are incorporated by reference herein.